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Alger was blindfolded, winding through twists and turns in the passageway.

When the cloth was removed, he stood before a cavernous expanse, with the red dragon resting atop a massive rock in the center, eyes half-closed as if dozing.

The bugbear shoved Alger forward, forcing him to kneel before bowing respectfully, saying, “Master, I’ve brought the human.”

The dragon lazily opened its eyes and casually said, “Well done. You may go now.”

Alger could feel the sulfuric heat from the dragon’s breath.

“Yes, Master.”

The bugbear withdrew respectfully.

Struggling to rise from the ground, Alger gritted his teeth and declared, “Wretched dragon, whatever scheme you have, I won’t let you succeed—not even if it means my death!”

He shut his eyes, standing tall, prepared to face the dragon’s wrath.

Whether he would be met with searing flames or razor-sharp claws, he was fearless.

But to his surprise, the dragon’s tone wasn’t angry; it merely asked, “Why did Brad Lackman send you here?”

Alger kept his eyes closed, refusing to answer.

Observing Alger’s reaction, coupled with the timing, Cassius deduced the mission’s purpose: the infamously brutal “Tiefling Camp Massacre” of his previous life.

Hundreds of Eagle Guards would scour the area, slaughtering any Tiefling they encountered, sparing no one—young or old, burning the site and obliterating all witnesses.

The operation was meant to be swift and clean.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered the Ember Nest.

Eyeing Alger’s silence, Cassius mockingly asked, “Alger Yoman, do you know how your parents died?”

At this, Alger’s expression shifted drastically, as a hidden wound was ripped open. He couldn’t help but open his eyes and shout:

“That’s impossible!”

“How do you know?!”

The dragon unhurriedly replied, “You don’t need to know how I know—just answer truthfully.”

Cassius repeated:

“So tell me, how did your parents die?”

“They were…”

Alger didn’t notice the faint red glow flickering in the dragon’s pupils—nor the same light reflecting in his own eyes.

“They were sacrificed to devils by those damned Tiefling scum!”

His eyes turned red as he recalled the traumatic memories, his voice seething with hatred.

Cassius indifferently asked, “And who told you that?”

“It was…it was…the Duke.”

“Then why is it, I know otherwise?”

“What do you know?”

“I know that your beloved Duke, in his quest for eternal life, in his desire to become an undead bloodsucker, sacrificed thousands from the city…among them—”

Cassius paused.

“—were your parents.”

The dragon loomed over him, like a demon from hell, weaving words that chipped away at Alger’s mind.

“No…no, that’s impossible!”

“You’re lying!”

Alger’s voice shook with desperation.

But Cassius’s persistent questions forced him to confront the terrifying possibility—that his benefactor, his godfather, his Duke, was also his greatest enemy.

Cassius pressed on, spreading his wings to cast a shadow over Alger, gazing down at him:

“Think carefully. Has your beloved Duke ever left his fortress?”

“Has he ever stood in the sunlight, outside the shadows—even while delivering his noble speeches?”

“With your keen senses, have you ever heard the cries of victims from the Lackman fortress’s backyard, or smelled the stench of blood mixed in the soil?”

“When you slaughtered innocents, did you realize they would be sacrificial offerings for the Duke’s quest for immortality?”

Cassius’s words triggered images of blazing fires, crying children, and mothers clutching their babies flashing before Alger’s eyes.

“No, no, I didn’t…”

“I didn’t.”

Alger staggered back, shaking his head.

His mind was reeling, his head throbbing, memories once blurred now painfully clear, as though all the pieces fit this horrifying truth.

“No…”

“You’re lying, trying to manipulate me.”

“I refuse to believe you, the Duke…”

Alger sank to the ground, mumbling, his eyes clouded with shadows.

After a long silence, clarity returned briefly to his eyes, and he stammered, “Dragon!”

“What…what did you do to me?”

Cassius looked down at him coldly, replying, “Just a little trick to help you accept the truth.”

“Besides, after all you’ve done, do you think you’re in any position to call me a ‘wretched dragon’?”

“No, I don’t believe it.”

“This must be part of your scheme!”

“You’re deceiving me, aren’t you? You bewitched me! I…I won’t believe your lies.”

“Your tricks mean nothing against the loyalty of the Northern Wind Eagle Guard!”

Alger forced himself to his feet, trying to suppress the terrifying thoughts, but his denials sounded hollow and desperate.

“I have no reason to deceive you.”

“And…you’ll see for yourself soon enough.”

Cassius didn’t argue further; he merely lay back down, calling the bugbear at the door.

“Take him back to the dungeon.”

“Yes, Master.”

Three burly bugbears approached, dragging the struggling Alger away.

As they lifted him to carry him out, he continued to shout, voice choked with anger.

“Dragon, you won’t fool me!”

“You’ll never slander the Duke!”

“You’re in league with devils!”

Years of loyalty training had instilled an unbreakable sense of duty; he was just one of the family’s blades, a weapon without morality.

His task was simply to execute orders.

That’s what his old instructor used to say.

And so, as a dutiful Eagle Guard, Alger had learned to clear his mind, refusing to think about right or wrong, habitually deceiving himself—especially during massacres, especially when facing defenseless refugees.

But now, for once, Alger found himself questioning it all.

And now that he had begun to question, his defenses showed cracks—just a little more, and they’d crumble entirely.

Cassius had achieved his goal.